Planning is underway for a second line connecting downtown Minneapolis with downtown St. Paul that would be built between 2010 and 2014.

One of the flexibilities of LRT is that
it is possible to operate in both
directions on a single track:

Due to some work on the line,
this southbound LRT is arriving
at Government Plaza station on
the east track on July 19, 2007.

The Hiawatha Line is possibly the best North American LRT to compare with Toronto's needs. It implements low floor technology that will be used in the next generation of Toronto streetcars as well as any LRT implementation. The Hiawatha Line also provides very good examples of the ways that the ROW can be implemented, most of which will be needed in Toronto:

• on-street, curb separated ROW
• separated median in roadway
• parallel to road ROW
• tunnel sections
• elevated sections
• fully separated ROW

Fare collection:

Fares are purchased from vending machines on platforms.

Riders with a monthly pass must touch their pass to the "Go-To" circle on the card reader next to the vending machine.

Fare is valid for 2 1/2 hours from time of purchase and may be used on busses as well as LRT.

A 6 hour pass is available for US$3.50 on weekdays and US$3.00 on weekends.

A day pass valid for 24 hours is US$6.00

Random fare inspections take place on the LRT. The fine for being caught without a valid fare is US$180.

Bus transfers use the same media as fare cards for the LRT. The expiry time is printed on the back of both, but the card has a magnetic stipe as well.

This photo shows a northbound single-car LRT on the section of the line that runs parallel to Hiawatha Avenue.

Eastbound traffic on the connecting street has its stop line for the intersection on the west side of the LRT tracks, and no right turns on red are permitted.

Traffic on Hiawatha Avenue is warned of an approaching LRT on the parallel ROW with a flashing sign (left photo) approaching an intersection, and at the intersection, a lighted No Right Turn sign and crossing gates prevent traffic from passing until the LRT passes.

When boarding a bus, the fare card is inserted and removed from a reader that will beep to inform the driver when the fare is no longer valid.

Running on South 5th Street, the LRT has its own reserved lanes separated from traffic by a curb. Most downtown streets in Minneapolis are one-way, with alternating streets running in opposite directions. Under this pattern, South 5th Street would be one-way in a north-west direction (referred to as northbound here) but there are a few exceptions:

This photo shows a southbound LRT leaving the north terminal at Hennepin Avenue.

Where the LRT uses traffic signals, the signals for the LRT use a vertical white bar for proceed (above) or a horizontal white bar for stop (below).

The vertical white bar will flash for a short period before the signal changes.

Northbound LRT arriving at Government Plaza station.

For three blocks from South 3rd Avenue to Nicollet Avenue South, South 5th Street is one-way for northbound traffic using a single lane on the west (left) side of the LRT.

The block between Nicollet Avenue South and Hennepin Avenue has two-way traffic, with one lane on either side of the LRT. Traffic on the west (left) side of the LRT cannot make a turn onto Hennepin Avenue.

At Nicollet, northbound traffic may cross over the tracks to switch from west side to the east side. This is necessary if turning at Hennepin Avenue.

The Warehouse District/Hennepin Avenue station is between Hennepin Avenue and 1st Avenue North where South 5th Street is one-way northbound with the traffic on the west (left) side of the LRT.

Most of the interior is fully accessible. The exception to this is a few seats at each end of the car that are a step up from the floor level of most of the car.

These LRT cars are 95 feet long (28.7 metres) and are manufactured by Bombardier. Each car has 66 seats and can hold an additional 120 standing passengers.

Each car has four luggage racks and four bicycle racks.

Interior of an LRT car.

A flashing white signal indicates to the LRT operator that a railway-type crossing is fully activated and stopping traffic.

Of the 17 stations on this system, only four have side platforms - all others have a centre platform.

The northern four are downtown including one that serves the Metrodome. The line runs on South 5th Street in its own right-of-way (ROW) separated from other traffic by a curb. This is the only on-street ROW. Just north of the Downtown East/Metrodome station, the line enters its own separate ROW. The LRT follows special signals at intersections synchronized with the traffic signals.

South of the Metrodome, the LRT crosses diagonally through an intersection and then enters its own separated ROW to cross over water and expressways. The first station on the separate ROW is Cedar/Riverside and the second is Franklin Avenue. Franklin Avenue station is located partly on an overpass.

View of the shelter roof at Cedar/Riverside station.

The next four stations are on the west side of Hiawatha Avenue, where the line runs on its own ROW immediately next to the road.

The first station, Lake Street/Midtown is a fully elevated station as the line crosses over Hiawatha Avenue just to the north of the station.

Travelling parallel to Hiawatha Avenue, where the line meets crossing streets, it has railway crossing priority (see photo showing Hiawatha Avenue near the top of this page).

Like Toronto, Minneapolis can be cold in winter.

This photo shows the push button to activate the heater in a shelter at the Warehouse District/Hennepin Avenue station in downtown Minneapolis.

South of the 50th Street/Minnehaha Park station, the line curves away from Hiawatha Avenue and moves onto a separated median along a small street for several blocks before returning to its own separate ROW just north of the VA Medical Centre station. Where the LRT enters and leaves the median, it does so with railway style crossings.

From here to just north of the airport it operates on its own separate ROW, occasionally elevated to pass over expressways.

The LRT goes underground for much of the airport grounds.

A northbound LRT arrives at the 50th Street/Minnehaha Park station. This station, 46th Street, Government Plaza, and Downtown East/Metrodome are the only stations with side platforms.

Lindburgh Terminal station.

The Lindburgh Terminal station is the only underground station on the system. The LRT returns to the surface just before entering the Humphrey Terminal station at the south end of the airport (this station is closed until the fall of 2007 as this terminal is undergoing major construction work; when open, there is no fare to travel between the two airport terminal stations).

South of the airport, the LRT runs down 34th Avenue in a median ROW. Here it uses special signals at intersections synchronized with traffic signals. These signals are so well synchronized that it is rare that an LRT ever has to stop at a traffic intersection.

New development immediately next to the 28th Avenue station.

Two LRTs at the Mall of America station. The LRT on the left has an advertising wrap, so its usual colours are not showing.

The LRT leaves the median by turning west through a railway style crossing protecting southbound traffic on 34th Avenue.

From Bloomington Central station, through 28th Avenue station, to Mall of America station, the LRT operates on its own separate ROW, with a short portion near the mall parallel to a street.

The Mall of America station is located under the parking structure at the east end of the mall along with transfer facilities to several local bus routes.

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This page last updated February 14, 2009